Healthy Homes (post-assessment)

Let’s Talk About It

This activity allows students to identify sources of potential sources of indoor air pollution in their homes. Students may find that the air in their homes is more polluted than they thought. Emphasize that students should complete an indoor air pollution survey periodically, make sure they identify all possible sources of pollution.

Have students share their survey results as part of a class discussion. Create a list on the blackboard of different home air quality hazards identified, or make a transparency or slide of the “Healthy Home Survey” page, and annotate it while projecting it as an overhead. After the list is complete, ask students to suggest ways in which sources of indoor air pollution can be limited or eliminated.

As an alternative or additional step, ask each student to write a paragraph describing his or her ideas for improving indoor air quality. Refer students to pages 28 and 29 of Mr. Slaptail’s Secret. Ask them to find the different ways Mr. Slaptail’s neighbors were able to eliminate indoor air pollution in his house.

Provide each student with the pre-assessment he or she completed at the beginning of the unit. Ask students if there are any questions that they would answer differently now. Have students use a different color ink to circle any new responses. On a separate sheet of paper, have students explain the reasoning behind their changes. Discuss students’ new responses as a group.